Shoe display form



July 26, 1933.

"w. L. .WARDELL SHOE DISPLAY FORM Filed March 10, 1937 'I INVENTORWimwZ.WtrdZb BY g &a ATTORNEYS Patented July 26, 1938 SHOE DISPLAY FORM,i

William L. Wardell, Ne

w York, N. Y., assignor to Application March 10, 1937, Serial No.130,089

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to shoe display forms, and moreparticularly to forms having reversible toe pieces, on which either aright or left shoe may be snugly fitted for display purposes.

Some types of shoes, such as bathing shoes and lounging slippers aresoft, fiexible, and easily deformable, due to the pliability, not onlyof their uppers, but of their soles, and often of their heel portions.For the attractive display of one of these shoes, particularly a net oropen-mesh bathing shoe, it is desirable to mount it on a form which willhold it in its proper shape, substantially as it will appear on thefoot. It is especially important that the contour of the toe portion ofthe display form should conform to the shape of the toe of the shoe, sothat the true shape of the shoe will be retained and shown in anextended shape. Since the human foot is not bilaterally symmetrical, thetoe portion of one shoe form of the usual type will fit only the rightor the left shoe, depending on which it is designed to fit. When a leftshoe is mounted on a display form designed for the right foot, and viceversa, the toe of the shoe is distorted out of its natural shape so thatthe display loses its attractiveness.

The present invention provides a form for dis playing soft shoes whichmay be readily adjusted to accommodate either a right or a left shoe.The form comprises two separable pieces, an upright heel-and-upperpiece, and a toe piece fastened at right angles to the former. This toepiece may be removed from the upper piece, reversed, and replaced atwill so that it Will fit either the right or left shoe.

The accompanying drawing illustrates a present preferred embodiment ofthe invention, in whichz Fig. 1 is a side elevational View, partly incrosssection, along line l-l of Fig. 2, of the form;

Fig. 2 is a bottom plan View of the form when assembled to display theright shoe; and

Fig. 3 is a bottom plan view of the form when assembled to display aleft shoe.

Referring to the drawing, a flat shank l, of Wood or other suitablystifi material is shaped, in side elevation, to simulate the generalcontour of a human foot and a portion of the ankle, in order to providesupport for the heel and upper of a shoe to be displayed. A notch 2 isprovided in the lower forward edge of the shank to leave an overhangingportion 3 of the shank. A toe piece 4 is shaped like the toe of a shoeand has a lslot 5 which is slightly narrower at edges 6 toward the rearface of the toe element.

The toe piece 4 is the shank l, so that attached perpendicularly to theslot 5 engages the lower edge 'I of the shank, the narrower edges 6 ofthe slot insuring a tight grip. The notch 2 fits the portion of the toepiece 4 in front of the slot 5, so that the overhanging portion 3 of theshank projects over and in contact with the toe piece, supplying thelatter With added support from above to hold it in position. The toeelement is easily removed, reversed, and replaced in changing from aright to a left shoe, or vice versa.

The shank l is of such shape that it suggests the heel and the greaterpart of the remainder of the foot. It also provides, by its ankleportion, a place to tie laces, an advantageous feature in the case ofopen-mesh bathing shoes, which are often provided with laces. The toepiece 4, being securely attached tothe shank, provides a natural contourfor supporting the toe portion of a shoe. Fig. 2 illustrates theassembly when the obverse face 8 is on the bottom ready to display ashoe for the right foot. Fig. 3 illustrates the same shoe form after thetoe piece 4 has been removed, reversed, and refitted, the reverse face 9appearing on the bottom. -'I'he shoe form is then assembled to fit aleft shoe.

'I'he .present invention provides a simple, efiicient and attractivedisplay form for shoes. It is inexpensive to manufacture. It isadaptable to fit either shoe of a pair. A shoe dealer who usesexclusively shoe forms embodying the present invention will be preparedto display both shoes of a pair at the same time and will not becompelled to leave one on the shelf for lack of a form to fit it. Thepresent display form may, of course, be made up in whatever size isdesired.

While a certain preferred embodiment of the present invention has beenshown and described, it is to be understood that it may be otherwiseembodied within the spirit of the invention and the scope of theappended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protectby Letters Patent, is:

1. A form for displaying a shoe, comprising a substantially flat shankhaving a notch along its lower front edge, and a toe-shaped fiat toepiece fitted at right angles to said shank by means of a slightlyrearwardly tapered narrowing slot adapted to receive the lower frontportion of the shank, said toe piece being removable and re- Versible.

2. A form for displaying a shoe, comprising a flat upright shank havinga notch along its front bottom edge, and a thin flat toe piece attachedperpendicularly thereto having a slot With a narrowing taper toward itsopen end, said shank removably tting into said slot so that the notchengages the toe piece at the slot opening.

3. A form for displaying a shoe, comprising a flat shank with a notchalong the front bottom edge, and a thin fiat toe piece disposed at right'angles thereto having a slot narrowing toward the rear edge of the toepiece, said shank removably ftting into said slot so that the notchengages the toe piece in front of the slot opening, said toe piece beingreversible to fit a shoe for either foot.

4. A form for displaying a shoe, comprising a flat shank for supportingthe upper portion of a shoe, said shank having a lateral surfacecorresponding substantially to the cross-section of a foot and ankle andhaving a notch along the lower forward edge, and a thin flat toe piecedisposed at right angles thereto having a slot narrowing toward the rearedge of the toe piece, said shank removably fitting into said slot sothat the notch engages the toe piece in front of the slot opening, saidtoe piece being reversible to fit a 10 Shoe for either foot.

WILLIAM L. WARDELL.

